Saturday, June 04, 2005

Ice Cream Smiles and Faithful Remembrances

Wehad just returned from swimming in a kind neighbor's pool and I was inthe midst of scooping rainbow sherbet for my children when I thoughtabout this. What an amazing life I have. What beautiful gloriousthankful children I have. The simple blessings of ice cream on a conecan get them so excited. How can this life of blessing be mine? I knowthere are days when I live in anxious anticipation for bedtime, but notyesterday. The happy smiles and the grateful gushing, "Thank you!" fromeach of them as they happily danced to the backyard with their conesdoes not happen every day, but when it does it is precious.

How muchwe as mothers enjoy making our children smile! It makes me want todance in the kitchen with my cone too. There is so much pleasure inmaking them happy. I know life is not all about making people happy forhappiness' sake, but it can be a gift to the giver too. How much joymust our Savior have in His provision of His children? I know that mySavior provides. Sometimes, like my children, I do not trust that Hewill "come through" for us. But then I am shamed by remembering thepast. How like the Israelites of old I am! Having watched God providefor them safety and provision - over and over - yet they were afraid towalk into their inheritance because there were giants in the land. "Howcan we fight them?" they would cry to Moses, "You should have left usin Egypt!" Hadn't these same people seen Him part the Red Sea?!Remember God's works in time past!

I amlike these faithless people all too often. Forgetting to keep thefaith; forgetting His works of wonder, not just in the ancient times,but in my own life. Today though, I will not forget His faithfulness tome, to my family, to my friends. Today, I will see the grateful smilesas I bring out the ice cream again and remember when God gifted a coneto me.